Familiar Faces
by Sausage Zeldas
Summary: Don't be afraid of the Dark. Sometimes, it talks to you. The Shadows on the walls can also be your closest friends. Be aware of those around you, and never forget their faces. But don't trust a demon.


The very first time I saw him, I thought it was nothing more than a flicker of light caused by just one of the many candles that lined the hallways of this palace. But being here now, outside and kept warm by the fire where we set camp, I know it was him. For those first few weeks, it was just me, my creator, and the ever-growing aura that surrounded us as master's power grew. I was quickly taught the darker ways of magic, and learned to sense it in others soon after. The boy beside me now practically radiates the same magic aura that came from Vaati. We've come to the conclusion that it merely got intense enough to bind life into the very shadows in our domain. But I guess it wasn't until the Dark Mirror was broken that he could interact with the light world. He was the first to wake me up when my body was given back to the Shadow Realm. From there, we fixed our only portal to Hyrule and began out new life.

I decided against seeking out the heroes I once knew. Two years had gone by since we gained the strength to come back. Time passes differently to Shadows, so both me and this Shadowling remain in bodies of a 12-year-old, all the while four young teens become the first of their age to be knighted in hundreds of years. Vio was moving on with a life he earned, and I needed to find my own path.

"How about Umbra?" I suggest, taking another bite of the fire cooked rabbit we managed to catch.

The Shadowling considers this for a moment, then nods while giving a small shrug of his shoulders.

"Alright then, Umbra. We're coming near a lake, and can probably make it in by noon tomorrow. We have enough food to last 'til then. We'll go fishing and we might even catch enough to sell and use the money to get an actual Inn to stay at."

"Sounds good to me," he replies before lying back against dirt floor to gaze up at the stars. I follow suit, but also shut my eyes to catch some sleep. Tomorrow would be a long walk.

As the sun fell, the cold was setting in. We made it later than I thought we would, leaving us with neither food nor the money to catch a nice warm bed. I decide we'd better start making our fire now to set up here and Umbra starts collecting the wood. Once all it ready, I work on starting creating the flame and let Umbra do his usual exploring. My hands work on autopilot as my mind wanders and gaze zones to the sky. _What would the heroes be doing right now? Red and Blue are probably arguing over something stupid while Green discusses important matters with the princess. Vio would be off in any old quiet room with his nose in a book. _

I figure Umbra is another good reason we don't meet up. He could be a real pain at times and his actions are usual motivated by destruction. Once, he told me this dream he had where he took over the royal castle and made it his own. I told him about Vaati's failure, and he insisted he could do a much better job. Vio and the others might very well take that sort of attitude as a threat, but I only really ever see it as some cocky 12-year-old who will eventually learn as I did. Then again…

"The hell are you doing now?" I ask as Umbra walks with a handful of small rocks.

Guey cry out as the rocks are thrown where they were feeding, and I suddenly get this uncomfortable feeling that eyes are staring down the back of my head. Half of me hopes Umbra manages to pelt one of them hard enough to capture and cook, while the other insists we should leave before any more trouble is caused. But then, an arrow whips past me, just inches from my face. I turn fast, eyes scanning for any sign of where the arrow may have come from. I shout for Umbra to watch out, gesturing to the arrow still lodged in the grass near me. His eyes glance around quickly before-

"Over there!" He points to the top of a lone tree sitting on a small island in the middle of the lake. A figure stands there, watching and unmoving. For a while, we stay as that, before this thing leaps from the tree, spreading Keese-like wings to swoop in towards us. I take a cautious step back, channeling my magic to prepare a fight if need be. Meanwhile, Umbra steps forward to holds his palms up loosely in front of him, letting electricity dance around his finger tips.

"Turn back!" The figure shouts from the air. "Fires are forbidden here. Stand down and head home or-" He finally lands in front of us, his eyes scanning what stands before him. "You're children," he says plainly. Umbra and I look at each other a moment, but say nothing in return. This stranger furrows his brow when we don't drop our guard, and he points to the path that lead out of this lake site. "Leave. It is past curfew. Go home now and I won't have to escort you to your parents."

I look him over with suspicion. He seemed normal enough at first glance; light skin, bow in hand, crest holding together the cloak that draped around him. It all screamed: Authority Figure. But for his age (20? 25?), the white hair threw me off. Let's not forget the wings now, either. It took away the feeling he was someone worth listening to, especially with red eyes that, in my experience, belonged to beings of the dark. Like Umbra, who bore the same ones my former master had. Was this a trick? Some joke to this guy?

Apparently, he had his own inquiries as to what we were. If he was a dark being, he probably sensed I was just a shadow, despite my rather normal appearance. Pale skin and blue eyes much like the heroes, with my own unique purple hair; a touch added by Vaati. Umbra, on the other hand, was far from regular. His hands, face, hair, and even clothes were all just one solid dark grey. In the right kind of sunlight, he almost seems transparent. His eyes are the only thing that set him apparent from any lifeless puppet I've ever manipulated out of shadows.

The intense stare off was only broken when Umbra speaks up. "Who the hell do you think you are giving orders here? I don't see no signs around tellin' people they can't wander at night. How about you take that stick and string of yours, flap your little wings away, and leave us the hell alone."

The man blinks in surprise, and my hand smacks against my forehead. This idiot is going to get us into a lot of trouble. And trouble it did. Hands snatch out to grip our pointed ears, leading us away from the lake. I can't do much of anything with pain brought to my sensitive ears, and even Umbra is rendered unable to attack. This, of course, doesn't stop the flood of curses that pass his lips, all of which are ignored by the stranger who merely talks over him.

"You will bring me to your home, or I will bring you in and find out where you live myself while you two sit in a cell." He couldn't be serious! He keeps walking despite our protests and struggles. I think this guy is really serious!

"Okay okay! Look, we don't exactly have a place to go. Let us free and we'll leave the damned lake, deal?" I try, and he pauses, still holding on as he takes a moment to think before letting us go, (Finally!) and crossing his arms, looking over for any signs of dishonesty. A heavy sigh is let out as he pinches the bridge of his nose and mutters to himself. "Feathers aint gonna like this." Umbra and I looks at each other again before the stranger speaks up. "No."

"What?!" Umbra rages, receiving a harsh glare from the older.

"No." He repeats. "I'll never hear the end of it if I let two kids wander off like that. Besides, you aren't normal kids; that much is obvious. I'm taking you to Feathers. He'll know what to do with you two."

I didn't have much time to make a reply before witnessing the unsettling sight of the shadows reflected by the moon moving around seemingly on their own. They crept towards the three of us, then rose up and wrapped us in a black bubble. It only lasted a few short seconds, and then they crept away, letting blinding light surround us from a well lit room. Shadow teleports weren't new to me, but they did leave me just a little queasy after the trip. Umbra, though, had a startled look of inexperience, clearly in wonder of how we ended up where we did.

"This way, please." The man begins walking, knowing that with no knowledge of our location, we didn't have much of a choice but to follow after.

The room was huge, but I could sense many beings present behind different walls and doors. Some seemed like demons, others were unfamiliar to me. The place itself reminded me of the Palace of Winds just by its size, and there was no exception to any of the other rooms and halls we passed before ending up at a door the man finally knocks on. There was a pause, followed by a voice giving permission to enter. The taller does, and so with some hesitation, we eventually do the same.

"I found these two causing trouble at Lake Hylia. They say they have no home." I scowl at the accusation of trouble, failing to see what we did wrong. The newest stranger looks up from his work, looking us over while resting his chin on the backs of his hands and elbows on his desk. He looked similar to me, but about the age similar to the darker being. His purple hair matches mine perfectly, though he had red eyes and bore a scare across his face. He too had black wings, though his were much more like a large bird's. Umbra notices too, and suddenly snickers. The three of us give questioning glances before he speaks up.

"Parrot."

The purple-haired man narrows his eyes and twitches his wings in what I guessed was irritation, the comment itself earning him a light smack to the back of his head by the Keese-winged one.

"Show some respect." The tallest barks, but the other raises a hand gently.

"It's fine, Darkness." Darkness, huh? Then he turns his attention to us. "What are your names?"

"I'm Shadow. This one is, well… we are currently calling him Umbra."

Now the older two share a glance, but Darkness was the one to question. "Was he not previously named?"

I just shake my head. "He was sort of a mistake," I can feel Umbra's disapproving glare but I just ignore it, "the one responsible for his existence was never aware of it, so I named him. Yesterday."

The purple-haired male nods, looking back down at some papers before standing and stacking each page neatly in one pile. Stepping out from behind his desk, I quickly recognize a knight's uniform. Umbra and I had witnessed a few on our travels, and to be honest, being this close to one know made me a little uneasy. The shit stain beside me, however, was unfazed.

"Who knew parrots could join patrol now." His laughter was interrupted by yet another smack to the back of his head, this time from me.

The 'parrot' then winks at me in thanks before speaking. "I am not one to hold children hostage, but if you really are without a home, I suggest you stay here, at least for one night. Many monsters roam these lands after dark, and I am almost positive you boys are hungry, correct?"

As if right on cue, my stomach growls, bringing a calm smile to his face.

"That's what I thought. Come."

In no time at all, we were stuffing our faces with things I had never even seen before. Well, at least I was. Umbra was insistent that none of that sounded good. We came to realize long ago that Umbra simply didn't get hungry, therefore did not eat. Ever. All the while I reach for a bright orange orb in a bowl of other rainbow colored treats. I take a bite, and quickly make a sour face before putting it back and reaching again for the mashed white stuff. I've already decided that was my favorite.

The taller one- Darkness, was it?- chuckles when he sees me, walking in long enough to grab something red from the rainbow basket of lies. Umbra and I scowl in his direction, but he holds his hands up in defense.

"Yikes. I mean no harm, alright? There's just been some things happening at night that aint exactly safe. I thought you guys were some of the ones causing this town trouble lately."

"What kind of trouble?" Umbra leans in, interested in any juicy gossip involving trouble; trouble he would probably like to be personally involved in. His interested gaze turns into a startled hiss as Darkness's only response is ruffling his hair, is if to say, _Nice try. _

The thought makes me smile to myself. Umbra has never been social towards anyone we've talked to on our travels. He either openly threats those who confront us, or stays away and lets me do all the talking. On the rare occasion he did hold an actual conversation with someone, he lied and manipulated his way to getting what he wanted. But here is this stranger touching his hair and still alive to snicker about it, all the while seeing right through his antics. Perhaps Umbra could also sense something different about this man. Can't learn more if ya get yourself kicked out now can you?

After I was sure my stomach would explode if I dared another bite, Darkness escorted us to our rooms. They were simple enough; stone walls with a window between the two beds on each side of the room, a lantern hanging from the wall by each pillow. In the center was a royal-red oval carpet, matching the curtains that were tied away from the window to let in the moon. Once settled in our beds, he explains that we can come and go when we please if we need some shelter, but be mindful of noise at night.

"We have little ones living here as well, and they get cranky without sleep," he adds.

With that, he wishes us a good night, and closes the door. Umbra and I take a moment to look at each other, climbing out of comfortable sheets to stand side by side at the window, looking out. It was like.. a castle. The land around us stretches on forever. When I look out, stone wall climbs both ways for several more floors, leaving us somewhere in the middle of it all.

"One night," I say, glancing beside me and offering a hand out my side.

Ashen skin crosses my own fingers. Red eyes meet my gaze.

"One night." He replies.

We both look out the window.


End file.
